The Birmingham Mail brings you the latest in its series of a family-friendly (and flat) off-road city cycling routes.

With the help of sustainable transport charity Sustrans, and its West Midlands area manager, Edward Healey, we’ve selected routes along the National Cycle Network, where paths are guaranteed to be of a decent standard and easy to follow.

This week, with the help of John Bennett at the Birmingham cycling campaign Push Bikes, we're bringing you our next route, which follows two National Cycle Network paths to take you around the city along the water's edge.

City Centre Canal Circular Route

This six-mile route starts from Digbeth and follows blue signs along the Grand Union Canal through Nechells to Spaghetti Junction before looping back along the Birmingham to Fazeley Canal, through Aston and back to Digbeth.

Be advised that there are barriers along the canal where you may have to lift your front wheel to snake through, making it more difficult for tandems and tagalong bikes.

The cycle route starts in Fazeley Street, Digbeth, but if you’re making your way by train or want a local landmark, start from Moor Street Station.

When you leave the station, turn right and walk with your bike towards Hotel La Tour.

Immediately in front of the hotel veer right, towards the new Eastside Park (where you can stop for drinks and snacks on your return), and when you reach Park Street, either cross with care or carry on left along the pavement and cross Park Street at the zebra crossing to Eastside before turning right to make your way back up Park Street and taking a left onto Fazeley Street.After passing Andover Street you’ll find a slope on your left where you can cycle down to the towpath of the Digbeth Branch Canal.

You’ll come to a canal junction straight away. Go over the bridge and turn left to pass under the same bridge and onto the towpath. You’ll see the garden of Edible Eastside across the water followed soon after by Warwick Bar and The Bond.

Pass under the railway viaduct, built in 1848 ( but never finished), and at the canal junction take the downward ramp slowly, turning sharply left under the iron bridge and bringing you onto the towpath of the Grand Union Canal.

The City Centre Canal Circular Route

Follow the towpath down five slopes, under a series of bridges, along the Heartlands Parkway and past Star City until you find yourself at the foot of Spaghetti Junction’s maze of concrete columns.

Under the M6 there are three possible paths to take but don’t cycle over any bridges. Instead turn left (signed for Rocky Lane), taking you onto the towpath of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.

Follow this for almost two miles back towards the city centre. There are a series of little bridges and this journey takes you very gradually back uphill so there are several locks with small slopes to cycle up (or get off and push).

At Aston Junction there is a choice of routes. To head back to Digbeth don’t take the bridge, instead follow the path (and the canal) round to the left, bringing you back onto the Digbeth Branch Canal.

You’ll cycle under a series of bridges before passing through the long and narrow Ashtead Tunnel under Jennens Road (slow down or get off and push) and the curvy Curzon Tunnel, bringing you back to Fazeley Road.

To find more National Cycle Network routes that are guaranteed to be of a decent standard for cyclists visit www.sustrans.org.uk and click on the “Map” link at the top left.

Information about biking along Birmingham’s greenways can be found with maps at www.birminghamcyclinggreenways.co.uk. Request a large, fold-out paper copy of Birmingham’s cycling and walking map at www.birmingham.gov.uk/cycling-map